Key stats: The 2013 Bronko Nagurski Award winner as the nation's best defensive player, Donald was a dominant force for the Panthers. Using his exceptional burst off the line, he racked up an NCAA-best 28 tackles for a loss. He finished his collegiate career with 29.5 sacks, 66 tackles for a loss and six forced fumbles.

How he fits: The Lions are committed to keeping Ndamukong Suh in Detroit for a long time, but the team has already taken the first steps toward parting ways with Nick Fairley, declining to exercise the former first-round pick's fifth-year contract option.

Fairley will be a free agent in 2015 and the Lions can go a long way toward maintaining its advantage in the middle by selecting the draft's most dominant defensive tackle prospect with the 10th pick.

Donald doesn't have an elite frame, measuring just 6-foot-1, but he more than makes up for it with off-the-charts athleticism and a high motor. He's drawn comparisons to Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro Geno Atkins, who has posted elite production despite a similar build.

Quotable: "I love the way he plays. I watched him a lot, watched him a lot my junior year in college. Explosive, fun to watch, he just makes a ton of plays.
What he's doing in the NFL is amazing, it's an honor to even be compared to a guy like that." -- Donald on being compared to Atkins.

"I would put this day up, that Aaron Donald had (at the combine), (against) any defensive tackle in the last 10 years." -- Mike Mayock